MADISON – David Jernigan announced today that he is retiring as Madison’s Chief of Police. He said his retirement will be effective in mid-January.

“I have served at the municipal, county, state and local levels of law enforcement over the last 41 years,” he said in a Facebook post announcing his retirement. “To be the Chief of Police in Madison has been truly a highlight of my career and my hope is to leave the department a little bit better than when I started three and one-half years ago. My success will always be directly tied to the professionalism of the men and women of the Madison Police Department who have consistently served with honor, integrity, and dedication to the rule of law and the US Constitution. They are the best, brightest and bravest among our community.”

Jernigan was named the Chief of Police in May 2017 after serving as Chief Deputy for the Madison County Sheriff’s Department. Previously, he worked 29 years with the FBI.

Even before becoming the city’s police chief, Jernigan and his wife Mary Beth lived in Madison and have two children.

“I am thankful for the opportunity to have served the citizens of my hometown of Madison as your Chief. The agency will be in good and capable hands upon my departure and I look forward to celebrating the department’s successes in the future during retirement,” he said. “I have had fun providing information to you and the dialogue back and forth between us in our wonderful community of Madison. Social media has been extremely important to law enforcement in bringing a message and brand to the people we serve. My hope is we have done this well for you over the last few years. We will continue to collaborate with our neighbors over Nextdoor, Twitter, FB, Instagram, YouTube and Nixle to remain relevant and a part of the community in the future.”

Jernigan added, “This is your police department and we are here 24/7 to serve your needs. Thank you for allowing us inside of your homes to build a relationship of trust and accountability with you.”